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Antique Oriental Art Carpets
Extraordinarily Beautiful Antique Carpets
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“One of the World’s Best Sources of A ntique Rugs”
F inancial T imes
Antique Art Carpets for the Gracious
Home and Collection
W
e offer a vast collection of art-level antique Oriental rugs woven 100 to 200
years ago by the finest weavers in a tradition passed down for over two millennia.
The difference in impact from the mass-produced, handmade rugs commonly found
today is unfathomable.
Our rugs possess great individuality in their pattern language and a painter’s sensitivity
in their color palettes, often with rarely seen, nuanced hues. We offer the sublime
rather than the mundane — artworks that express an unquestionable joie de vivre
that inimitably complete a home decor.
A collector’s home with 19th century Caucasian and tribal rugs.
at right Persian Laver Kirman | 8' 4" x 12' 6", third quarter, 19th century
For over 3½ decades, we have offered standout antique carpets in superb condition for the floors of a global
clientele, including this 150-year old rug with sophisticated patterning and softly contrasting colors.
Living with Antique
Art Rugs Throughout
the Home
These two pages provide a glimpse of a
Whole Home Rug Collection in our client’s
expansive, southern USA penthouse.
For over three and a half
decades, President Jan David
Winitz and his expert staff have
worked with clients to select
antique art rugs that have an
uncanny ability to unify their
furniture, other works of art
and architectural details into
a harmonious whole.
Interior design: Marianne Michael, A.S.I.D., Interior Design
Photography: David Duncan Livingston
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www.claremontrug.com
1.800.441.1332
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Persian Ziegler Sultanabad | 13' x 17' 7", third quarter, 19th century
Masterful antique rugs unify and elevate from the most intimate to the grandest of spaces through their absolute harmony of design and color, as
seen in this lazuline, melodically patterned oversize carpet of superb quality.
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www.claremontrug.com
Persian Ferahan Sarouk | 10' 7" x 13' 6", third quarter, 19th century
With its virtuoso design, balanced color palette and consummate craftsmanship, this deeply moving carpet exemplifies
our emphasis on offering only the artistic highlights from the myriad antique rugs available.
Newly Redesigned!
Our Website—
claremontrug.com
• Explore a sampling of over 850 antique
rugs from our vast collection in crystal-clear,
full-screen images.
• See over 150 diverse interiors showing how
our clients creatively display their carpets
throughout their homes, including five
Whole Home Rug Collections.
• Read articles featuring us in The Wall
Street Journal, Financial Times, The New York
Times and numerous other periodicals.
• Read informational articles by president
Jan David Winitz on:
Various types of rugs
Recognizing quality
Decorating with antique rugs
Rug care
Connoisseurship
Rugs as a bona fide art form
Our popular long-term exchange policy
Persian Serapi | 5' 2" x 6' 4", late 19th century
Persian Malayer Camelhair
A wide spectrum of our clients use exceptional smaller rugs to enrich the depth of their home’s ambiance, strategically
displaying singular pieces such as this standout with its glorious hues.
Large antique carpets with expanses of undyed camel hair, such as this striking room size piece of unusually generous width, were very
rarely woven and are coveted for their luxurious, neutral ambiance.
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www.claremontrug.com
| 11' 9" x 13' 8", circa 1900
1.800.441.1332
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Architecture: BraytonHughes Design Studios / Designer: Nina Chiappa
“I put antique rugs on the level of art. They are a very specific kind of art that provides
both a visual and intellectual satisfaction.”
— A longtime client in an article about Claremont in Robb Report magazine.
Persian Bakshaish
| 10' 10" x 14' 1", circa 1875
In this strikingly beautiful example of the geometric antique rug style most prized among connoisseurs, an innovative allover pattern is
formed from stylized organic motifs in gilded hues on a luscious, striated red field.
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www.claremontrug.com
1.800.441.1332
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The Dealer in Antique Rugs Who Makes House Calls
November 18, 2015
by Hilary Potkewitz
Jan David Winitz isn’t afraid to
walk around an airport with his
grandmother’s handbag slung over his
shoulder. “It’s vintage leather, it doesn’t
have any logos on it, and it’s the perfect
size,” he says. In other words, it’s just right
for discreetly carrying a couple of rolled up 19thcentury Oriental rugs worth a small fortune.
The 60-year-old Mr. Winitz sells antique Persian carpets, and
he makes house calls.
He runs the Claremont Rug Co. in Oakland, Calif., with his wife,
Christine, but he travels two or three times a month to visit clients with
10, 20 or even 60 carpets in tow. The bulk of the rugs get shipped in
cargo. “ But the most precious ones, I’ll carry,” he says.
For a recent trip to Fairfield County, Conn., he toted two 3-by-4 foot
antique tribal rugs from the Caucasus Mountains worth nearly $70,000
on one shoulder. On his other he carried a plain gym bag with a
folded 3-by-6 foot Khotan carpet woven in the East Turkestan region
of Central Asia circa 1800, worth about $60,000. “I’ve been doing
this for so long. To be honest, I’d be
He travels two or three times a much more nervous carrying a couple
month to visit clients with 10, thousand dollars in cash,” he says.
20 or even 60 carpets in tow.
Claremont has an inventory of 3,500
antique carpets, and Mr. Winitz
claims to know them all by sight. His clients are mostly collectors or
connoisseurs looking for carpets to complement other artwork or
furniture in their homes. Some pieces will go on the floor, others on
the walls or in rug vaults.
Persian Serapi | 8' 5" x 12' 3", circa 1875
Among the ongoing favorites of our clients are 19th century Serapis, and we offer a range of deeply artful pieces in sizes from
4' x 5' to 15' x 26'. Shown here is a masterful example with continually reinvented motifs and brilliantly layered colors.
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www.claremontrug.com
Before making a client visit, Mr. Winitz will study a home's floor plan
and get a sense of the person’s style. He says he usually knows the
perfect rug for a given space, but will bring a client four or five choices
for each room. He always travels with a corresponding stack of glossy
8-by-10-inch photos of each carpet.
Mr. Winitz even considers a client’s favorite colors when packing
his own clothes for a trip. “If I have five appointments, I’ll bring five
different shirts and ties, each chosen for a particular client,” he says.
“These are high-net-worth people. It’s a privilege to be invited into
their homes. It’s a way to let them know that I understand their
aesthetic and what they’re
His clients are from North
looking for.”
and South America, Europe
A home visit can last up to six
and the Near East.
to eight hours as Mr. Winitz
and his assistants unfurl carpet
after carpet in various spots throughout a house. “The presentations
are fast-paced and I’m on my feet the whole time,” he says. He swears
by Italian dress-shoe designer Sutor Mantellassi. Mr. Winitz stays in
shape by jogging 40 minutes a day, five days a week, even on the road.
There are few tools of the trade, but one is a knot counter, a
magnifying tool used on the underside of a carpet to measure knots
per square inch. For certain Persian carpets, the higher the knot count,
the finer the craftsmanship. Mr. Winitz also carries a laser measuring
device and a hefty rug bible called “Oriental Rugs: Volume 1: Caucasian,”
by Ian Bennett.
His clients are from North and South America, Europe and the Near
East, but in most cases, he is helping them furnish homes they own
in the U.S.
Mr. Winitz first learned about Persian rugs from his grandmother,
Linda Matal, a collector who specialized in Asian art and carpets. He
recalls spending time as a child in her East Coast home with her many
art collector friends.
He made his first major rug purchase at age 19, a 200-year-old Persian
Bakshaish Dragon Rug that he bought for $3,500. He continues to use
her vintage tote bag as a tribute.
1.800.441.1332
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For those desiring to carve out
a particular collection niche,
one of the most compelling
is Caucasian tribal rugs with
their 85 subgroups.
above left Caucasian Talish | 3' 6" x 8' 1", circa 1850
The virtually endless variety of Caucasian rugs offers lovers of folk art a panoply of pattern language, as seen in the complex balance of this
piece’s multiple borders and compartmentalized field.
above right Caucasian Seichur Kuba | 4' 5" x 6' 4", circa 1875
Persian Halvai Bijar | 9' 4" x 14' 11", circa 1875
The weavers of the Caucasus Mountains produced the most widely collected of tribal rugs, such as this superbly preserved gem where the
asymmetry of the large sunburst medallions lends a sense of great movement.
Bijars enjoy a long established reputation of being stately rugs of incomparable durability. This first-caliber, 19th century example offers a
sculpted “Garden of Paradise” field pattern, remarkably rendered in aged jewel tones.
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www.claremontrug.com
1.800.441.1332
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Interior: Marks & Marks Design
For the Major Rooms in Your Home
To integrate the grand rooms of their homes, clients come to us
from around the globe for our extremely hard-to-find antique art
carpets in sizes from 11' x 15' to 18' x 30'. See a sampling of over
150 oversize and palace size pieces on claremontrug.com.
Persian Laver Kirman | 13' 8" x 21' 10", late 19th century
A virtuoso rug that would elevate either a large contemporary space or
a traditional room, this palace-size carpet is bejeweled with sublime
spectral colors, including a range of greens, all resting in harmony on a
unique buff-toned field. Its condition is superb.
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www.claremontrug.com
1.800.441.1332
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Our Unique
Concierge Services
Antique art rugs are an iconic
element that can define
space in open floor plans,
provide intimacy to a seating
area, display splendidly in
passageways, and add an
unparalleled grandeur to your
largest spaces.
EXPERTISE
Our highly experienced rug consultants
offer invaluable guidance about
purchasing, decorating and collecting.
APPROVAL SHIPPING
Long-distance clients appreciate our
convenient, cost-effective Shipping on
Approval Service, including arranging for
installation by local staff.
IN-HOME SHOPPING
For larger projects, we do in-home
rug presentations virtually anywhere
in the U.S.A.
LONG-TERM EXCHANGE POLICY
Our written guarantee is invaluable to
clients who move to new residences or
wish to explore new styles.
ONGOING CARE
We offer long-term advice and multiple
services to maintain your rugs, including
superb cleaning, restoration, padding
and storage.
Persian Tehran "Garden of Paradise"
4' 7" x 6' 10" | circa 1900
A standout among pictorial rugs, this superbly
crafted, perfectly preserved piece presents a
continually changing depiction of the natural
world, including a variety of birds and mammals,
even rabbits hopping along the main border!
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www.claremontrug.com
Persian Laver Kirman | 10' 3" x 13' 5", second quarter, 19th century
The work of a genius carpet designer, this extremely early, high-collectible piece reveals a cosmos of exquisite motifs and numerous rarely seen,
wondrously aged hues, such as the pale sea foam green in its inner medallion.
1.800.441.1332
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Persian Manchester Kashan | 10' 3" x 13' 5", circa 1910
Persian Ferahan Sarouk | 10' 4" x 13' 5", late 19th century
Woven using luxuriously soft, luminous wool and extremely fine knotting, this refined carpet with its inviting terra cotta field and crestlike brass and sapphire bouquets offers an understated, yet inviting atmosphere.
With an ambiance that is at once majestic and celebrative, this singular, stylized floral carpet boasts a broad array of engaging hues that
would add drama to a dark space or sparkle in a sunny spot.
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www.claremontrug.com
1.800.441.1332
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Persian Bakshaish | 9' 8" x 14' 2", third quarter, 19th century
Persian Sultanabad | 11' 6" x 13' 3", circa 1875
Through its bold geometry and daring, intentional asymmetry in which its shield medallion appears to rise up towards the top of the field,
this astonishing folk art rug captures a primitive ethos that is at once enigmatic and earthy.
Our high-decorative antique rugs are singular artworks that are unparalleled in their ability to add distinction to a space, such as this room size
carpet of generous width with its rare spectrum of wood, copper, and wheat tones.
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www.claremontrug.com
1.800.441.1332
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“Sherry Williamson combined vintage and contemporary furniture with intricately detailed
antique Persian Laver Kirman rugs for a complex composition.“
— LUXE. Magazine about our clients’ residence with their Whole Home Rug Collection.
Our smaller rugs (3' x 4' to 5' x 8')
have an impassioned following
among our clients. We offer only
those pieces with captivatingly
individual designs and supremely
balanced colors that create deeply
compelling artistic statements.
above left Persian Laver Kirman
| 4' 6" x 5' 4", third quarter, 19th century
Exemplifying the great refinement and creativity of collectible floral carpets, this pearl-toned rug offers exquisitely drawn rose blossoms and a
perfect balance between golden ecru, carmine red, and indigo.
above right Persian Hadji Jallili Tabriz Vase Rug | 4' 1" x 5' 9", third quarter, 19th century
In this elegant, ingenious rug ideal for floor or wall display, two painstakingly detailed, golden cypress trees frame a pictorial garden with its vase,
flowering trees, and trout swimming at its arch.
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www.claremontrug.com
Interior: Sherry Williamson Design, Inc.
Photo: © David Wakely Photography
Persian Bakshaish Camelhair | 1 0' 3" x 10' 8", late 19th century
Caucasian Lori Pambak Kazak | 6' 7" x 10' 1", circa 1900
With its very seldom-encountered, virtually square dimensions, rich camel field and colorful, folkloric patterns, this unique
antique carpet offers myriad decorative possibilities.
An atypically large antique tribal rug in superb condition, this striking, jewel-toned piece epitomizes the riveting artistry and signature color
palette of the beloved Kazak weaving region.
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www.claremontrug.com
1.800.441.1332
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previous page Persian Serapi
12' 2" x 19' 5", circa 1875
A standout in the perennially popular style for
large rooms, this singular example of Serapi
artistry offers a grandeur that is easy to live
with, its pleasing colors and forms evoking the
splendor of the natural world.
above left Caucasian Keyhole Kazak | 4' 1" x 5' 8", circa 1875
A collectible example of the vital weaving tradition that thrived high in the Caucasus Mountains throughout the 1800s, this small rug in
excellent condition reflects an amazing harmony among many symbolic motifs.
above right Persian Qashqai Shekarlu | 4' 5" x 6' 7", third quarter, 19th century
The best Qashqai rugs are revered for their complex, effervescent depictions of nature —as this whimsical piece achieves through its
menagerie of diminutive and overscale animals, birds and trees.
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www.claremontrug.com
1.800.441.1332
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Antique Oriental Art Carpets
www.claremontrug.com | 800-441-1332 | +1-510-654-0816 | info @ claremontrug.com
Jan David Winitz, President and Founder
“Born into a New York family of scientists and art collectors, Winitz inherited a collection of great rugs
and a love of art” (Financial Times). After graduating with an MA in Education from University of
California Berkeley, he opened Claremont Rug Company in 1980 and over time has built a global
reputation among collectors and connoisseurs.
Mr. Winitz maintains his own private clientele, assisting families to assemble whole home carpet
displays and to build collections of high-collectible antique rugs. He is intimately involved in all
aspects of the company, working personally with our staff of carpet consultants, our international
buying team, and our “Concierge Services” program.
The author of “The Guide to Purchasing Oriental Carpets” and many published articles that are
available on our website, he has been interviewed on multiple occasions by the Wall Street Journal,
New York Times, Financial Times and numerous art publications.
(Contact us to order free copies of the six articles Mr. Winitz has written on different aspects of antique rugs
for The Chubb Insurance Collectors Newsletter and AXA Art.)
Claremont 2
Reopening soon in new location immediately adjacent to our main store!
To view the Claremont 2 inventory and for more information:
Persian Laver Kirman | 9' 2" x 16' 2", third quarter, 19th century
In this major rug-making center since the 15th century, highly talented weavers created exquisite, often subtly toned carpets, such as this regal,
multiple medallion oversize. Laver Kirman rugs have experienced a revival, now frequently chosen in contemporary decors.
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www.claremontrug.com
800-883-1815 | 510-883-1300 | www.claremontrug.com/claremont2
6093 Claremont Avenue, Oakland, CA 94618
PRSRT STD
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Antique Oriental Art Carpets
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
PERMIT NO. 5
6087 Claremont Avenue
Oakland, CA 94618 USA
800-441-1332, Int’l: (+1) 510-654-0816
info@claremontrug.com
Located just 20 minutes
from downtown San Francisco
Monday-Saturday 11:00 to 6:00 PT
(An appointment is suggested.)
Sundays and evenings can be accommodated.
Visit claremontrug.com
Read articles featuring us
from the following publications:
Wall Street Journal
Financial Times
New York Times
Robb Report
San Francisco Chronicle
Art & Antiques
Luxe.
Art News
Chubb Insurance
Collector’s Newsletter
Apollo Magazine (UK)
Carpet Collector (Germany)
Private Air / Luxury Homes
Gulfstream Nonstop magazine
The only Oriental
rug firm ever honored
as Robb Report’s
“Best of the Best”
Persian Hadji Jallili Tabriz
8' 1" x 11' | circa 1875
Brochure printed on 110# Topkote Gloss Cover and
100# Topkote Book, papers made under the highest
of environmental management standards.
Address Service Requested